Five Frugal Things | Well. I did my taxes. Yikes.
My first one is kind of painful, but it does have a small frugal part. And after that, it's nice smooth frugal sailing.
Let's get this first one over with!
1. I did my taxes.
I used a copy of TurboTax that I bought at Costco (oddly, way cheaper than buying TurboTax on the TurboTax site).
This was frugal on the tax prep side, but it was a painful job.
The good news is that I earned more last year than I thought I would.
The bad news is that the estimated taxes I paid in 2019 did not nearly cover my tax bill. Oy.
But I have new, painfully high estimated tax payments to make this coming year, so next year things will be less painful at tax time.
(Yay? I think?)
And I am trying to remember that more income is a good thing, even if it does mean more taxes.
Taxes do not eat up 100% of the extra income!
2. I planted my purple hyacinth beans.
I had the seeds saved from last year, so I planted them around my mailbox and my front step railings.
Last year, I forgot until really late, and my plants never did get very big. So, this year is going to be better!
And hopefully, they'll look more like this:
3. I fixed a pair of joggers.
They had three small holes in them, in the usual spots: waistband and the top of the pockets.
So, I found an old yoga pant leg:
and then I cut it into small pieces, and used them to make inside patches for all three holes.
Basically, I pin the extra fabric around the hole, sew it in place, and trim the excess.
It looks like this from the outside; fairly invisible, especially from a distance.
4. I mended a cloth shopping bag.
Reusable bags are less environmentally friendly if you throw them away instead of repairing them. 😉
And luckily, the ones that are made of actual cloth (vs that plastic "cloth" with holes in it) are pretty repairable.
This cotton one somehow got a pretty big rip by the handle.
And it had a slightly shredded part on the body of the bag.
I found an old khaki pant leg in my rag bag:
and I used that fabric to fix the rip by the handle.
And I did the same for the frayed body part of the bag.
5. I got an eBay refund.
I ordered a theory book for one of my girls, and it arrived seriously bent.
Since the book had looked pristine in the listing, I messaged the seller to ask about it. They said it was probably the post office's fault, but they gave me an instant refund anyway.
I feel kinda bad about it, since it wasn't the seller's fault. But I do appreciate their commitment to customer satisfaction, and I gave them a glowing rating on eBay.
What is not frugal these days?
1. My young adult daughter used my copy of Turbo Tax to complete her tax returns yesterday (since they allow five returns per software purchase). I gave a little assistance as she'd never itemized before but she is great at being independent. I was happy for her that she is receiving federal and state refunds.
2. I found an old cut-up oxford shirt and used it to make a mask. I also tried a different pattern that called for a tea towel (which I have a few of). It was tough to sew through the pleats, even with a supposedly heavy duty sewing machine (that is almost 40 years old). Since I had the sewing machine out I sewed an inside patch on a hole in a pair of jeans.
3. I have been cutting lilacs and enjoying them in the house. I have also left lilac cuttings for neighbors.
4. Since my friend's birthday was this month I couldn't take her out to lunch (our usual). I bought her a box of Bankers Boxes while using the Sam's Club Concierge Service and left them on her porch on my way home. The boxes enabled her to organize a bunch of files and check off a big item on her to-do list. Ten boxes were less than the cost of lunch for two.
5. Reading eBooks, borrowed from the library, on my six year old Kindle.
I should really do our taxes. Thanks for the reminder! On to my list:
1. I cut my audible suscription-I just don't use it enough.
2. I purchased and planted seeds (vetables, herbs, flowers). Previously, I only purchased seedlings, but between my beloved local farm closing down-where I purchased the seedlings at a great price, and only going to essential places (for me this is the grocery store), I had little choice.I just wish I'd started some of these seeds sooner-or my grocery store sond seedlings!
3. On the subject of gardening, we expanded the garden an extra 20 feet which cost nothing except some sweat equity. We used our own compost to amend the soil.
4. The husband mended the clothes that need mending (yup, lucky me!).
5. We cooked all our meals from home, but then we always do.
1. Made chicken broth from bones and veggie scraps from my freezer.
2. I am a bit bored. I do a lot of online shopping. Putting fun things in my cart But NEVER ACTUALLY BUYING THEM.
3. I put out some requests on my LOCAL BUY NOTHING GROUP and got oregano chive and catnip plants for FREE. We love chives! All are planted in pots. Oregano is especially invasive.
4. Cooking and eating at home due to staying home.
5.??????
Sunday everyone was home from work so we loaded a backpack with snacks and lunch and headed out for an afternoon walk at a local trail in a nice weather day!
Went through my supply of greeting cards and my 15 year old daughter and myself wrote a dozen cards to encouragement to a group of traveling nurses that have located into nyc.
sent out a handful of thinking of you cards to friends and family- some funny- some of encouragement.
our state finally decided to finish the rest of the school year online... thus no spring sports.. I just stayed patient and received the phone call that my sons sports fee will be credit next year since he did not get track season... ( I could request it back now.. but it has already cleared my account so I will deal with it!)
continuing to make meals with what we have on hand and when I am at the store making sure to get items that I can use to complete meals with items at home!
filled my vehicles gas tank from our gas cans in our barn... I have so many fuel points that will expire next week that with low gas prices I will get 30 gallons free.. so I will fill the cans and then my husbands truck for free!
I used to use Turbo Tax online (but recently switched to TaxAct, for some reason I can not recall, thought I am sure it was based on cost, initially). I have never used the version that your buy. Looks like Costco sells it for 49.95 - can you let me know if this is the total cost - that there are no additional costs when you go to file? Also, I am assuming that you can only file one return for each purchase (I have a 20 year old who is now filing taxes...). Thanks!
Costco had a bunch of different versions in store. Since I'm self-employed, I have to get the more expensive, upgraded version.
I think the version you're looking at has free federal e-filing, plus one free state download. It doesn't usually include state e-filing, but you can always mail in your state return if you'd prefer not to pay the efile fee.
In the past, I think I've been able to use one purchase for multiple filers. But my kids all qualify for the free TurboTax online service, so that's what I'd look into for your 20 year old. If you have a simple return (no itemized deductions, no self employment income), TurboTax online is completely free!
Here is a link to the Turbo Tax products:
https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/cd-download/
They all show 5 federal efiles included. The version I have also does your state taxes but it costs additional ($20 or more) to efile them. I just print them out and send them in. The past two years my software was used by us and also by two other family members (all legitimate as far as I can tell).
I do believe that it is cheaper to get it from a vendor other than Intuit.
Does the TurboTax at Costco come as a CD or is it like a digital code. My computer doesn’t have a CD drive, though I’ve wondered if it’s cheaper at Costco.
Costco online offers an e-download. If you buy it in store, it does come with a CD, but the CD case holds a code that you can use to do a download instead.
It definitely makes more sense to just buy it from Costco online, particularly in the midst of stay at home orders!
Before spending on the software, you may want to look into the IRS Free File program. There are maybe a half dozen or so software vendors who are partners in the program, including Turbo Tax, Tax Act and H&R Block, but each vendor has its own set of requirements and restrictions, such as the state you live in and income level. The income limits were as high as $69,000, as I recall. My daughter, a single, self-employed barber, had used Turbo Tax's free program last year for a simple return. We weren't sure she'd be eligible for the IRS Free File program because of this year's need to include a Schedule C for self-employment. Not only was she able to choose Turbo Tax for her IRS Free File vendor and include a Schedule C, but TT populated her 2019 return with her 2018 basic information, AND allowed her to file a state return for free, as well. (This may not be true for all vendors, so be sure you understand the features and limitations of any options you're considering.) PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT the same free filing program that many of the tax software vendors offer. You MUST go through the IRS.gov website to access the IRS Free File program, but it's well worth looking into.
Glad you got a refund on the theory book! And hooray for making more money. Taxes are so painful. I've adjusted my withholding from my 9-5 job to "cover" freelancing for now. But boy is it depressing to start your taxes and see that glorious refund number and watch it drop and drop and drop. I think this line is key: "Taxes do not eat up 100% of the extra income!"
Can you still file electronically if you buy Turbo Tax from Costco? I’ve been debating purchasing it from Costco.
Yes, you can.
1. I made pizza sauce from tomatoes that have been in my freezer since last summer.
2. I mended my son's comforter instead of buying him a new one.
3. We planted a garden.
4. Since we are under stay at home orders, I have stopped wearing makeup..putting off when I will have to buy it again.
5. Used baking soda and lemon juice to do a quick cleanup of the bottom of my oven.
Don’t feel bad for that ebay seller. (I am one too!) They should have packed it with some heavy cardboard to prevent it from bending. That’s 100% on the seller and not the post office. Besides, if they sent it media mail or first class, there is no insurance and the seller takes that chance of damage vs. purchasing insurance. Good that they refunded you quickly, but thar was their only option anyway.
1) Menu planned, and meals at home. We did do one takeout meal, and used leftovers for several other meals. I even managed to use one of the small containers of dressing or bread dip (unsure) so there was no waste.
2) We have a Costco Executive membership, as we've mapped out how much we spend to ensure it's a good deal. Received our check last week. I'd wanted my husband to apply it to the groceries while shopping, but there was a snafu, and it was given back as all cash. I've tucked that away for a time when we're out & about & actually need cash.
3) Continued decluttering & organizing, and listing things on eBay
4) Asked a neighbor if I could pick oranges from her tree (it's mostly in our yard) & she was thrilled to have them picked. Set some aside for her, gave some away, and will juice the rest. Oh, also made a batch of quarantinis on Sunday, which were wonderful.
5) Price matched flights that we are unlikely to take this summer. If it happens, I've saved $400 or so. If not, I can cancel for free later.
1. Hauled my sewing machine out of the closet and I am busy:
-making masks from a bed sheet, elastic and clips to tighten the mask
-making capris out of jeans
-getting my hemming done
-patching jean tears with backing using the same method you use
2. Still cant get toilet paper so I am counting the number of sheets for bathroom activities
3. Still cant get paper towels so a lot more hand towels, kitchen towels are being used
4. Cutting my Kleenex in half to get more uses from a box
5. Not exactly frugal but getting my produce from a local farm. Supports the farmers, safer because of curbside delivery into the trunk.
Avoiding going into any public place. Neighbor is recovering from covid, church members are sick, coworkers are sick. So far all are not in the hospital.
Love reading this blog! Even more important tips for todays times. We planted an indoor garden because it's still so cold here every couple of days. Can't wait to move it outside. Using our farmers market up the street for most of our groceries. Working on little projects that needed to be done around the house to stay busy :0)
1) Under the CARES act you can now submit cold medicine and other over the counter products through your FSA/HSA backdated to Jan 1, 2020..so I went back through old receipts to submit prior purchases to my FSA
2) Made broth from veggie scraps in the freezer
3) Planted flower seeds from last year vs going out and purchasing flowers
4) LOTS of home cooking from the freezer
5) Updated my budget for spring months with limited gas needed/heating oil!
It's hard to think of frugal things right now, oddly.
1. I've been doing yard work in my free time, since I'm not commuting now and don't have enough office work to take all day right now. I'm getting a number of projects done, most of them free of cost or very little cost. Often I had the materials to get started, just no time to do it. It's free exercise, too, but I already don't pay to exercise, so no savings there.
2. I mended a shirt. This was just a bit of hand sewing.
3. I cooked a crock pot full of sweet potatoes, rather than heat up my oven and the house.
4. I made a batch of tortillas and froze the extra for later. I stretched the little bit of ground beef I had for the tacos by adding chopped mushrooms and onions. I almost always have mushrooms and onions in the house.
5. I planted the bottoms of green onions in a raised bed a few days ago, and I see green sprouts starting up. I'm probably going to do the same with my celery end, once I start this stalk of celery. I've done that before, and although it's not impressive, it does produce a few ribs of celery.
Thanks for the tip on celery, JD. We use a lot of it, so I'm going to try that this year.
1. Picked up a pair of barely used Nike sneakers for my son, 3 pairs of shoes for my daughter, and a garbage bag full of clothes for my son off Buy Nothing. We have enough clothes and shoes for both of them now for at least another year. All free!
2. Shortened the straps, that had gotten stretched out, on a tank top. Patched holes on 2 pairs of my son's jeans. I save worn pants to cut out patches and have been using a fabric glue to hold them in place. It works awesome; much better than iron-on patches.
3. We ordered a fire pit for our backyard. We need some chairs to go around it. Found 2 Adirondack chairs in someone's garbage. They just need a washing. Hoping I can find 2 more!
4. We are taking down a small fence in our backyard this weekend to make room for our vegetable garden. We do not have free garbage pick up of large items; it is an extra charge depending on the size of the item. So, I listed it on Craigslist for free. I have someone schedule to come this weekend to get it.
5. I learned how to make a latte at home without using a special machine. Comes out great!
1. Working 7 days a week so there is little time to be tempted to shop online.
2. Cancelled a magazine subscription that I didn't often read.
3. Home cooking every day this week but one.
4. I had $1.00 off a gallon of gas with my Kroger card so I filled up my tank for under $6.00!!!
5. When cooking I've been dividing food with my Mom or my kids and they really appreciate it and we don't have to eat so many leftovers.
1. My husband got out a frame he built and used last year's potting soil to plant two varieties of tomatoes. Hopefully, they'll mature in time for planting.
2. I'm grateful for Kroger's pick up and even more grateful they're waiving the pick up fee currently. In addition to what we had in the freezer, we're able to eat well balanced meals.
3. As I cleaned the garage, I pulled out odds and ends to make garden art. On my to make list this week is a wind chime and bees from recycled tin cans. Free art!
4. Also, as I've cleaned the garage, I've emptied bins and crates that can be used more effectively for storage in the basement. It's looking much better down there after painting with mostly garage sale paint. We did have to order floor paint but the price for everything is still minimal.
5. We signed up for a free month of CBS access for more free entertainment. We're enjoying Picard as we're long time Star Trek fans!
Stay safe, everyone!!!
We're in the process of buying a house and moving (yes, yes we are completely nuts, thanks for asking!), which is very much NOT a frugal experience.
Other more frugal things this week:
1. I dug through my stash of cake and cookie decorating supplies, and found out we have everything we need for my daughter to bake a cake and decorate it to look like part of the planet (her class is focusing on Asia, and they were supposed to draw or paint a picture of Earth for Earth Day, we decided cake was more tasty and fun!)
2. We got 40 "free" boxes from the moving company we're hiring to move all our furniture, and I'm planning to use those first when packing starting this weekend. I know ultimately we're paying for them as part of the overall package of moving, but it still feels nice to have 40 boxes delivered to our house instead of needing to go out and buy them from Uhaul or something.
3. My husband has been calling around to get our closing date (for both the home we're in and the new one) moved to a Friday or Thursday so we can schedule our move in the middle of the week instead of on a weekend when the moving company charges time-and-a-half. We've got everyone to agree to at least that Friday, which means we don't have to pay for a Saturday move or holding our items over the weekend.
4. Our friends (who are going to be our new across-the-street neighbors when this is done!) have generously agreed to let us sleep at their place during the move, saving us a lot of money on hotel and/or food-related costs. In our state, the convention is for the sellers to be completely out of the house the day before the closing for the buyers to do the walk-through the evening before.
5. I found a local dry ice company who will sell us some dry ice to keep our frozen stuff frozen for the 24 hours or so that we'll be without a freezer. This is a big one for me, because we order all our meat through a local farmer, and I will have around $150-$200 worth of frozen meat in our freezer at the time of our move that I would otherwise have to trash (our neighbors don't have a very big freezer). So spending $20-$30 on dry ice is ultimately saving me over $100 of having to replace that meat.
As for why we're moving - the new house will be quite a bit closer to the high school, so we won't need to buy the kids a car down the road, it has one extra bedroom for my out-of-town family to be able to visit more easily (my parents are now both retired and don't have as much spending money), we'll be across the street from friends, I'll finally be able to have a garden again (townhouse right now with no ability to grow things because the wind keeps drying out and knocking down anything I put on the deck), and we'll be able to host my husband's extended family for parties, etc. (all 4 siblings live within 40 minutes of the parents, we like hanging out, and our current home has almost no parking space).
Congrats on the new house! I'm trying to sell my mom's house (out of necessity) and what a difficult job that is right now. I'd love to find some buyers like you, willing and able to take the plunge.
Is there any place your freezer could be where you can run an extension cord and plug it in, eliminating the need for dry ice?
1. Cooked beans in the pressure cooker to save on gas.
2. Continuing to eat a rice based meal everyday...we have a 50 kilo bag of rice.
3. Bought 4 kilos of roasted cashews from a lady, she sells them significantly cheaper than what they sell for in town.
4. Reusing gray water.
5. Husband is wanting to start composting.
1. Shopping habits re-evaluated due to crisis and all non-essentials have been eliminated.
2. We have eaten all meals at home for over a month now.
3. Letting my son outgrow his clothes a little. If school re-opens I will get him some pants that are long enough but at home the shorter ones are fine.
4. Not throwing my son his usual birthday party this year. It's a bummer but it will save me some money.
5. Started seeds to move outdoors when it is time.
I packed a lunch and my husband and I headed to a local park for a wedding anniversary picnic. It was too cold to eat outside so we sat in the cab, dined on fine china (just kidding, I found a couple of paper plates in my stash) and ate by the light of a flameless candle on the dashboard. We will never forget this celebration, that's for sure!
1. Started growing scallions in water from bulbs I didnt' use during dinner, and planted in dirt a bunch of scallions that looked wilty. I have 7 healthy scallions producing beautiful green shoots with no need to go to the store! Husband bought cilantro, thyme, basil and tomato plants from a local nursery, so that we can have produce more readily accessible to us.
2. Used scrap fabric and pipe cleaners to make masks for family, friends, and a local hospital.
3. Saved on gas by only taking vehicles out for maintenance rides and grocery runs. Unfortunately, we live in an area heavily affected by the negative price of oil, and many are losing jobs. While I am thankful to save money on gas, I'm sorry that the turbulence in the industry is costing so many people their jobs.
4. Not entirely frugal: Instead of spending money at big box stores, we've been buying as much of our necessities from small businesses and fair trade sources. I bought specialty soap from an organization that helps free women from oppression and allows them to provide for themselves and their children for about the same price I could've gotten a similar soap at a big box store. Since we're not buying as much right now, we're trying to spend our money more intentionally to help people.
5. Cooking entirely from home, making homemade bread, using our pantry staples up before going shopping, spending time outdoors.
I love growing scallions, mainly because I can never seem to use a whole package from the store. If I can grow them, then I can just snip as many as I need.
Would u share how u made masks out of scrap fabric and pipe cleaners please. I don't sew and that sounds easier. Thanks!
This is the basic pattern I followed: https://www.deaconess.com/How-to-make-a-Face-Mask/Documents-Mask/How-to-Make-an-Adult-Surgical-Mask-with-Ties-3-26
Tweaks I made:
Instead of an 8"X14" piece of fabric I used a 20"X15". I folded it in half, right (pretty) sides together to make it 10"X15" and sewed a 1/4" seam down the edge opposite the fold. I turned it inside out, pressing the seam flat and then proceeded to sew it into a tube by making a hamburger fold, right sides together, hiding previous seam, and sewing down edge opposite the fold, per the instructions. Then turn inside out and press seam flat. (Basically, I made the mask 4 layers of fabric rather than 2 because we have a compromised kiddo at home, and I felt better about 4 layers of fabric than 2.)
Before pressing pleats, I sewed a 5/8" seam from the top of the mask (should be open end of the tube) to make a pocket for pipe cleaner (nose piece). I stuck the pipe cleaner in the pocket and sewed a 1/4" (ish) seam to secure the pipe cleaner in place (tube is now closed on that side). I then proceeded with the pleats per the instructions.
For the ties, I used a 2" wide piece of fabric because it's easier to work with than 1 1/2".
I tweaked a lot. If you follow the directions as they're written on the pattern, you're probably fine.
Also, my scrap fabric pile is yards upon yards because I quilt and make weighted blanets. Just realized that possibly not everyone has a scrap pile as extensive as mine.
Thank you, Kaitlin! Much appreciated!
1) Husband's birthday was Saturday. Before mandatory stay at home we were going to go to a nice restaurant to celebrate. Instead I bought a 3 pound tri tip on sale to bbq. Now we have leftover tri tip for more meals.
2) Made ice cream sandwiches for birthday. Bought ice cream for ice cream sandwiches on sale. Buy one get one free. Made cookies from scratch. Over all a lot cheaper than buying premade sandwiches.
3) Found bread flour for $4.19/5 pounds. Almost ordered online for over $5/pound
4) Baked bread.
5) Ate leftovers.
1. Trying to be really intentional about the order we use up foods... eating strawberries now, saving pineapples for next week, etc.
2. We finished our 4-week free trial of the Adventures in Odyssey Club and it's been so great to have during this quarantine that I purchased a month to get us through until (hopefully) my oldest can start to see her friends again. I put a reminder in my planner to cancel it the day before my month is up so I don't forget since the payments are recurring.
3. Around dinnertime last night we went to a nearby town to pick up mask samples for my husband's work. We picked up dinner from Culver's on the way home and saved the free ice cream cone coupons that came on the kids' bags for another time since it wasn't going to work well to use them yesterday.
4. My mom brought me a 15-pound box of frozen bacon last week and I finally opened it this morning to find that inside of the box was a giant bag with individual layer upon layer of bacon (paper between layers). This didn't seem like something I could just close back up and put back in the freezer, so I let the layers thaw enough to take them out and put in gallon freezer bags. Each bag has a good amount for one breakfast, so I should just be able to take out the bag the night before to thaw and we'll be good to go in the morning.
5. I got plants from Aldi on Saturday! Buying plants at big box stores or from places dedicated to growing them has been banned in my state, but Aldi had a bunch of "flowering shrubs" for a great price. I got a number of 4-6' tall ones that can handle some shade for an area in our backyard that we're cleaning up. I also got a couple of younger, shorter (and cheaper) flowering shrubs for the front of our house to replace a couple of pokey bushes that needed to go.
That was way harder to think of 5 than I feel like it should have been. I think my brain might be turning to mush when it comes to thinking about anything other than feeding children, cleaning up, and reading children's books.
It is so nice that an additional virtue of bacon, besides the taste, is it thaws fairly quickly. Well played on your freezer bags!
I feel your pain, Kristin. Last year we had a massive tax bill, but this year we had prepared better and got a small refund. I deposited the refund in savings right away. Also keep depositing all my freelance income right away in savings. Now I need to do a tax bill estimate.
Other frugal things,
-Made flatbread from leftover mashed potatoes, so we extended the potatoes over three meals this way. (Despite all this, our food bills have been so large!)
-Thinned the first green shoots in my garden (peas and radishes), and used these in a salad.
-I receive shipments through work that have materials in plain envelopes, I use these whenever I need to send anything.
-Got a free family photo from a frontporch-photo project. This was the highlight of my week! Such a nice, communal activity to see many of my neighbor's photos.
Sorry for misspelling your name, Kristen 🙂
Oh, no worries! My name has so many variations in spelling (Christen, Christin, Chrystyn, Kristen, Krystin, Krystyn, Kristyn, etc), I basically expect it to be misspelled. I am very used to it and it doesn't bother me. 🙂
FFT, Circulating the Good Things in Life Edition:
(1) Around Chez A. Marie and DH, barter is becoming both a Frugal Thing and a major source of entertainment. The friend's mom with whom I've already been doing some swapsies came by yesterday with another haul from a food giveaway (she qualifies for multiple reasons): 5 beets, 2 big potatoes, a box of Post Cheerios-style cereal, and a 2# bag of dried white beans. Since she's finally found a source of TP (my previous stock in trade), I reached into our freezer and gave her a pound each of hamburger and bacon from the 1/4 cow and 1/2 pig we order each year from a friend who raises the animals.
(2) DH's home care aide brought half a quiche with her today for our shared lunch, since she says it's no fun just cooking for herself (she's a widow living alone). So when I went out on my weekly shopping run while the aide stayed with DH, I found chicken thighs (which she says she loves) for 99 cents a pound at Wegmans, and gave her one of the two packages I was allowed to buy. (Note: Appropriate precautions were observed on all sides for both #1 and #2.)
(3) I now have onion, leek, shallot, tomato, cucumber, and melon seeds coming up under lights. Am eagerly looking forward to putting out our small portable greenhouse as soon as we stop getting snow showers with high winds in Upstate NY. (But don't get me wrong: I'd rather have these than actual tornadoes, and my sympathies are with all those in my native South who have been suffering from the tornadoes.)
(4) Dr. and Ms. Bestest Neighbors across the street had us over for a "hard times" birthday brunch for DH last Sunday. (He turned 71, although he had to be repeatedly reminded of both his age and the date. Early-onset Alzheimer's is no joke.) Dr. BN made his famous matzoh pancakes from leftover Passover matzoh (trust me, these are yummy); Ms. BN found some old "Happy Birthday" streamers in storage and festooned the dining room with them; both BNs collaborated on a "Happy Birthday DH" homemade card with individually cut-out letters like a ransom note; a bottle of champagne was located for the occasion; and, as at Passover, we observed social distancing by sitting at either end of their long dining room table. Heaven bless the BNs; I don't know what I'd do without them.
(5) And I'll be putting some of the beets and potatoes from #1 and our share of the chicken thighs from #2 into the oven for dinner in a few hours. Yum yum.
Aww, your neighbors sound just delightful!
1.) Followed your lead and bought 50 lb. of flour. I used a local restaurant supply warehouse. I paid $22.50 for Sir Galahad but if I had wanted Pilsbury or All Trumps (another General Mills brand) it would've been less but I choose to support KAF for a variety of reasons.
2.) Stayed out of Walmart and mostly stayed out of Target (just did online ordering with store pickup.) So we've saved quite a bit.
3.) Put the entirety of my stimulus check on my mortgage. That felt good. I already have an emergency fund and don't need anything, plus my wife and I are still working and not paying daycare to boot.
4.) I have an Amazon Prime subscription and have been exploring the Prime Music category. Amazing how much music is on there. Since I'm already paying for it, I may as well take advantage!
5.) Not really super frugal since ya know, lemon juice works just fine but I am undergoing an experiment of making my own cultured buttermilk. I figure that I already make yogurt so why not add something else to the mix. Maybe creme fraiche is next. 😛
For what it's worth, I make my own yogurt too, and use it as a 1:1 substitute for buttermilk in all recipes calling for that. Never had a problem yet.
I've seen that Jessica Fisher makes her own buttermilk too. Do let us know how it works out for you!
Kristen, the first time I read this comment I thought you wrote Jessica Fletcher and I was trying to remember an episode of Murder She Wrote in which she made her own buttermilk but couldn't!
ha!! Me, too! Jessica Fletcher and the Buttermilk Killer.
My income unpredictably varies from year to year. So much so that I have given up trying to predict it for my estimated taxes. I came to the conclusion that picking a number for the 1040ES and setting money aside in an "Income Tax" savings account is the solution. If I have to pay extra tax its already set aside, if I don't have to pay tax its a refund & I was earning interest on it the whole year.
FIVE FRUGAL THINGS:
1. I made my own yogurt and am flavoring it with rhubarb sauce or jam from my pantry
2. I haven't been to a thrift store in 2 months ( this has saved me a lot of money but I really can't take credit for it. As soon as the stores open again I'll be there)
3. I'm using up a LOT of my fabric stash to make masks
4. I made a raised bed and filled it with home made compost
5. My chest freezer has been emptied, I've been working on it since January 1st.
Kristen, my husband has some kind of brain blockage understanding withholding and did his wrong two years in a row, resulting in us owing the feds far too much money come tax time. I think the lesson finally sank in the second time he had to write Uncle Sam a great big old check.
Onto the FFTs:
1. Switching our cell service is saving us $59 a month.
2. Organized my closet and hung up spring/summer clothes. Don't anticipate needing anything new this year.
3. Needed a deodorizer for the trash can and finally came up with oil of oregano, leftover from cold treatment, dribbled on a wad of dryer lint. It conquered the stink until we could get the trash outside.
4. Shopped at home for a better seat cushion for my sewing chair and a laptop stand that can be rigged up for Zoom meetings. No money spent and it made things more comfortable.
5. Holding off on replacing my broken hairbrush until after the stay at home order is lifted. My hair looks fine combed and there's no need to spend the money.
I understand not liking to pay taxes at tax time, but I think I'd rather do that than get a huge refund. If I get a refund it's because I've overpaid. If I've overpaid, I've lost an opportunity to invest that money over the course of the year. If I have to pay taxes during filing season, I've given the government only what I owe them, and I've benefitted from having that money in my account rather than the government benfitting by borrowing my money for a time. That said, I wish tax codes were simpler so we could better estimate how much we will owe each year.
Unfortunately, I got hit with underpayment penalties, which far outweighed the possible benefit of having money in my own accounts. Sigh.
Definitely not a winning situation for me.
Oof. Apparently we've never paid little enough to invoke underpayment penalties. That's frustrating.
Having to stay at home means a lot of not spending: not on gas, not on the occasional lunch, not on other things.
- Monday's dinner was risotto designed to use up odds and ends of veggies and (believe it or not) proscuitto.
- Tuesday's dinner was the Vietnamese crepes from the current Cook's Illustrated, which uses 1/2 c. rice flour. I got some from a friend rather than buy a whole pound.
Not Frugal:
- Not being able to check books out from the library. A few things I'm interested in are available digitally, but not everything.
- Not store-hopping. I'm trying to go to one store per week. I work next to a supermarket and hadn't realized how many times I made a quick run for a thing or two. By the end of the week I'm really missing fresh fruit that isn't an apple.
- Stocking up on meat. I'm concerned about slaughterhouses shutting down (because they do damn-all to protect their workers, so of course too many are getting sick), so I decided to get a lot of meat before the panic started. I bought $300 of meat and my freezer is stuffed to the gills. My roommate suggested playing the theme from Tetris while I tried to fit it all in.
- Non-frugal possibility: now that restaurants are not buying all the Prime meat, I'm hoping some shows up in the supermarkets. I won't be buying a lot (cf the stuffed freezer, above) but I have a couple of things to celebrate and a Prime steak would be just the thing. Still cheaper than eating out.
PS: I feel your pain about taxes and having to remember that more income is good. One year my dental bills were huge enough that they qualified for the tax deduction ... except that was the dot.com boom and I made a (relative) killing on some stock. That pushed my income too high for the dental bills to qualify _and_ my tax bill that year was also huge. I had to remind myself so. many. times. that I came out net ahead...
1. Celebrated my hubby’s birthday with a home cooked meal, margaritas and cupcake. We normally go out and spend a bundle.
2. No Happy Hour for past two months.
3. Gas in both cars only once a month.
4. Hiking 5 days a week at local trails while social distancing and froze gym membership.
5. Zero visits to Target, Marshall’s, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby and Michael’s.
1. I turned my one-pan chocolate cake recipe into a dozen cupcakes and froze six of them for the next time we all need a little treat.
2. I'm using all my yarn scraps to make a multi-colored scarf for next winter.
3. I discovered that wearing a cloth mask while I'm doing yardwork helps with my allergies which are going a little crazy because allergy shots have been temporarily suspended by the doctor's office.
4. I cut my husband's hair again.
5. I'm very grateful that out electronic library has such an extensive selection of books.
My frugal things were chasing down small amounts of money that were owed me.
1. I had mailed a blouse back to a mail order catalogue house and never got my credit. When I emailed them about it, they suddenly pushed things along and credited me. I'm sure everyone is running slower these days. Got $21 out of that.
2. I misunderstood an offer on my new credit card to mean that they would give me $30 in credit if I used it, but what they really meant was I would get $30 in "rewards" when I used the card again at their store. Since I now had the $30 coming, plus $10 more for some reason, I made sure I ordered some summer clothes. Three new tops for me, one for my granddaughter. Got $40 worth of clothes here.
3. Husband picked up a double role of heavy duty foil at Costco for a small project, but really we didn't need it. I didn't want to fuss because, well, he was trying. He finally suggested we return it and since we needed to go, anyway, I got $15 back on that.
4. I did some work for a friend and they gave me an entire box of frozen salmon pieces. I shared some with neighbors and will take some to a friend. I love salmon but have no idea how to cook it. I'll find out after checking with the "net."
5. I've been taking a page from Brandy's gardening book and transplanting flowers that are now in the wrong place or have gotten too large. There was a time when I might have thrown them away, but now I look for a new place in the garden for them to thrive.
I never have a lot of frugal things to report but I have a couple this week.
1. We used gift cards from credit card points at Bonefish Grill for a wonderful dinner bundle meal, $50 plus tip fed 3 adults with leftovers to boot.
2. I joined "bookbub.com" . It is a website of free or really inexpensive e-books. I choose the genre I like and the authors I prefer and manner I want to receive them, i.e. Amazon, etc. The books are either free, or cost between $1.99 and $3.99. I get a daily email list of available books and prices. I can choose to buy as many or none as I wish. They also send me recommendations on new books coming out by my authors and I go right on my library's website and put them on hold. Ha, saving more money and getting me a lower number on the waiting list.
3. When I order from Amazon, I choose the slowest delivery option available if it gets me digital credits. I then use the credits to offset the cost of books I do purchase from Bookbub.
4. Lastly, I knit my own dish cloths with 100% cotton yarn. I get the yarn on sale and the cloths are completely washable and dryable. Keeps my hands busy.
Thank you Kristen, I just love the down to earth and humorous way you write.
Lots of wins going on, some a bit odd but we'll take them. They are:
1) Got an email from our car insurance company. All of us are getting a 20% discount for the months of May and June. $75 savings.
2) Got an email from Amazon about DS2's textbook rental. He can keep them an extra month. $40 savings.
3) Mom had given me a pair of loose pearls that she purchased while on trips. One is bigger and more golden, but who cares. I'm turning them into earrings. Savings- $20
4) I earned $25 in swagbucks and got free ebay gift cards. I took $5 from it to get the posts for the earrings above. Savings $5.
5)Regal Cinemas has a free Friday movie stream at 7 pm MST. I believe you must be a member (free to join) to watch it and sign in.
1. We continue to wear our clothes for two or three days, since we are not doing much to make them dirty. Amazing how much less laundry there is when two people don't wear a fresh shirt and fresh pants every day---saves time, water, detergent, and wear and tear on the clothing.
2. Planted more flats of seeds, figuring that sometime it will stay above freezing and we will have a garden again! As a side benefit, we are throwing the greens that I thin into soups.
3. A friend and I save magazines that we each get and periodically we trade a bag full so we each get new magazines for free. This week she picked up my bag off the porch and left me a bag.
4. Stretched a bag of shrimp by using half the amount the recipe required. Noticed a bit of difference but not enough to make me go back to the full amount during a time when we are trying to conserve resources so we have to shop less.
5. Needed a few birthday cards so dug out some rarely used supplies and made them, rather than going to the store or ordering expensive ones on line.
Love alll this!
Thank you for the mending illustrations. Used it to fix a favourite piece of underwear (which is good because it wasn't perfectly neat but no one will see and it will now last longer!)
Yay! I mended several pairs of undies too (waistband seams were coming apart), but opted not to photograph those for the blog. Heh.
1. I've been able to sell a few more things recently through our local FB garage sale site (mainly things to keep kids occupied at home like Legos and rollerblades, but still!).
2. Got an email about a 20% refund from our car insurance, which we will get next month.
3. Cut my kids' hair (which we normally do) and then cut my husband's hair (which I normally don't do!). It looks ok, but took a long time, and I think he would rather return to having it cut "professionally" after this is all over, lol.
4. Went to donate blood yesterday and forgot to bring a book, so was able to download a library book I wanted to read for free with an app on my phone using the free wifi.
5. Maybe not as frugal, but was scheduled to bring a meal to a friend who recently had a baby. Used a $15 gift card that we were gifted a long time ago to help pay for a meal from her favorite Italian restaurant. I didn't have to cook, helped support a restaurant, used my gift card AND made her day for the win!
1. I made Dalgana coffee for the first time and used it for a hot coffee (decaf!) drink. Starbucks -- you've been outdone -- better, no crap ingredients, and no oversweetness, and no caffeine for those afternoon bev fixes! Also no need for monthly Starbucks card topups ($25 saving).
2. Stocked up on instant decaf coffee for Dalgana and regular iced coffee during the summer.
3. We're going through our stash of premium coffee beans rather than buying preground.
4. Mail ordered a drainage hose for our dishwasher (gnawed by rodents). Got it in a few days and for less than the last time we had to do such a replacement.
5. Used grocery store points for $20 of stock-ups.
This is a great recipe for salmon filets. The important thing is not to overcook salmon for best texture. It takes exactly 21 mins in my oven but may vary slightly according to your oven temp. https://therecipecritic.com/garlic-brown-sugar-glazed-salmon/
* Been saving so much in gas lately! Apart from going to work and the grocery store, the car is unused. And the gas is cheaper lately. I usually put around 200$/month. I think I'm at about 40$ right now
* My outings are inexistant due to the pandemic, so this is frugal in itself!
* Going grocery shopping only once a week instead of multiple times cuts impulse buys
* Saving a whole lot of money by having the kids at home right now! No daycare fees, no outings/special activities, no classes, etc. It adds up!
* I've been picking up more shifts than usual= more monayyyy!
I’ve also been doing some mending.
#1 I did the same type of patching you did on your pants to my favorite camo cargo shorts, which had become unwearable due to holes. My son asked me to turn his cargo pants into shorts and I used the cut off parts to patch my shorts. I mended one of my husbands long sleeved t-shirts and six pair of my underwear (not glamorous but that’s like a whole pack of underwear I now don’t need to replace!)
#2 Was given a bunch of extra food from a friend which fed us for several days.
#3 I wanted an end table next to the love seat in our bedroom, since I’m spending more time sitting there reading these days. Shopped my house and found something that looks great, so avoided looking to buy something.
#4 found the hardware for a used rabbit pen I had bought several months ago. I had put them in a “safe place” so I’d be able to find them, then forgot where it was! Lol. Saved having to purchase new hardware.
#5 I’ve been eating odd bits of frozen stuff for lunch. I pretend it’s a game called “What’s For Lunch.” as I usually have no idea what it is till it thaws. Lol. I’ve eaten some pretty interesting stuff. I make a normal lunch for the family but this has helped with my goal of cleaning out the deep freeze.
I took green onion ends and put them in small glass of water and then after almost two week they were big enough to plant in a pot of soil. Super excited! Gardening, frugal, and environmentally friendly. I am goin go to try some other "gardening".
*I am going to try #fatfingersnonails
Follow up question on TurboTax from Costco...I have completed my taxes online at TurboTax.com, but noticed it was $60 to e-file Federal. Naturally, I remembered this post and went to purchase at Costco.com, but will I have to enter all my data again or does the code we receive from Costco work with TurboTax.com?
Hmm. I'm not sure about this! I downloaded TurboTax from Costco and then was able to import last year's tax return into the download (I did TurboTax online last year).
I don't think the Costco code works on TurboTax online, though.
I think you could get on a chat with a TurboTax rep to get some advice about how to proceed. It seems like you should be able to import your current progress from the online version into the downloaded version from Costco.